Where did the Asian Carp come from?

From Asia, of course!

Two species of Asian carp — silver and bighead — were originally imported to control algae in catfish farms in the southern US. After floods in 1993, many fish escaped into the Mississippi River. From there, they migrated into the Illinois River. These fish are well-suited to the cold water climate of the Great Lakes region, which is similar to their native habitats in the eastern hemisphere and they have migrated up stream. However, they didn’t evolve here and have no natural predators. So they reproduce rapidly and grow to huge sizes — up to 5 ft (1.5 m) and 125 lb (55 kg). The fish eat plankton (algae) in the water and deprive the native species of this food source. Asian carp can consume up to 40% of their body weight each day.

The Illinois River, which connects to the Great Lakes via the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal is inundated with the fish. The Asian Carp pose a significant threat to the Great Lakes because of their size, voracious appetite, and prolific rates of reproduction. If they enter the Great Lakes, they may decimate the native species, become the dominant species, damage the fishing industry, and change our environment forever.

By buying our Fogroff organic fish fertilizer you are helping the environment of our rivers as well as the environment of your land!

How we make our Fogroff organic fish fertilizer

Fish Stock

We carefully process Fogroff entirely with fresh Asian Carp caught by Big River Fish from the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers (see sidebar). We use whole fish and offal (head and guts) which otherwise would be sent to the landfill. So, we doubly benefit the environment in the selection of the source material and its processing. And unlike other manufacturers, we don't extract any of the nutritious oils before we make the fertilizer.

Cold Process

Our proprietary process preserves the enriching nutrients from the fish that other fish-based fertilizers can’t. We grind the fish and then create a paste from that ground fish. This ensures there is no particle greater than 75µm (0.03"). Note that we do not remove any oils like some of our competitors – the goodness in the oils goes straight to the fertilizer and then to your plants!

The fish then ferments using our process in which we add no heat. The result is a thick soup in which all the natural ingredients of the fish are preserved. All the macro and micro nutrients which will benefit your soil and your plants are in the finished product.

Mostly Fish

We use fish and nothing but fish! In fact, over 97% of the product you get comes from fish, with all the natural ingredients.

When the fish soup has finished fermenting, we add phosphoric acid. This helps to:

• stabilize the fertilizer by killing of any remaining microorganisms

• add some phosphorous that your plants need

• reduce the alkalinity to make the fertilizer at an ideal pH level for most plants

Benefiting the Environment

Of course, you benefit the environment by selecting Fogroff fish fertilizer instead of a chemical alternative. And you are not being a cause of the depletion of the fish in the ocean. But the main reason for using Fogroff has to be the results. You will have better grasses, grains, flowers, trees, fruits, and vegetables by using our fertilizer instead of a chemical alternative.

Heavy Metals

The Asian Carp eat plankton (algae) and are not bottom feeders (like catfish). The Mississippi and Illinois rivers are clean and free of pollution, so the Asian Carp is free of pollution and heavy metals are not an issue as they may be with other products.

The End Result

Because it is made mostly of fish, the Fogroff fish fertilizer improves the soil ecosystem and promotes quicker growth of microorganisms that in turn feed plants with high quality organic nutrients. This boosts the plant’s vitality and produces healthier crops. The major environmental and growing benefits for the organic food production industry in using our product made from a renewable resource are measurable and significant.